Introduction

• Chloropeth: graduated colors

• Provinces are different sizes, different populations

• Comparison across provinces is difficult

• Bar chart of number of cases for each Chinese province

• Is a map justified?

• Blue replaces red. Less “emotive”

• Rates replace totals

• Hubei province rightly set apart from others

• Dots representing 10 cases randomly placed in each province

• Potential misleading conclusion that Hubei province was overwhelmed

• Totals represented by proportional circles

• Not adjusted for population

• All areas represented, e.g. Macau and Hong Kong

• Log-transformed totals

• Importance of legend

• Logarithm de-emphasizes extremely large values but risks over-emphasizing small values

• Inappropriate ‘smoothing’ of data based upon geographic center

• Epicenter (Hubei) is lost

• Suggests all of eastern China was overwhelmed

• Choice of projection

• Web Mercator: up is always north. Distortions lead to risk of misinterpreting geographic area

• Albers Equal Area preserves geographic area but can distort shape

• Light blue = 2011,2014,or 2017; Dark Blue = 2021

• How difficult is it to…

  • …find specific country?
  • …find greatest change?
  • …summarize overall changes?
  • …precisely report a number?

Sixty-two percent of the unbanked cited ‘lack of money’ as one of multiple responses (figure 1.2.3). (p35)

• Plots of proportions should clearly communicate what denominators and numerators are

In Bangladesh, 69 percent of unbanked adults have a mobile phone; in Nepal, 73 percent (figure 1.2.6).

Figure 2.4.2 shows the relationship between payment inflows and the use of financial services among payment recipients as developing economy averages.